If you’d asked me yesterday, I would have told you that there was no situation in which an airplane being forced to make an emergency landing could possibly be a good thing. Engine failure, suspicious activity, a death mid-air: all terrible situations. But had I been on last week’s flight en route from Los Angeles to New York that made a sudden stop in Kansas City to get rid of a woman who’d been belting Whitney’s (not Dolly’s) “I Will Always Love You” for three straight hours, I would have championed the detour. After tweeting, Vining and Instagramming the whole event, of course.
The woman, who eventually attributed her erratic behavior to having diabetes and not knowing what having diabetes means, was escorted off the plane by two uniformed policemen. She continued to croon even while the cops were leading her down the aisle, which is perhaps what makes this story a true tale of heroism. You stand up to The Man, insane Whitney Houston Lady! You keep on singing until they take your voice and/or your iPod away! The woman was eventually released from custody, but the airline refused to fly her the rest of the way to her destination.
You know, if this event were a scene in a movie, “I Will Always Love You” would actually be my top song choice to have the loud nutty woman sing ad nauseam. Second choice: “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes or “Freebird.”